Many students consider Convocation and Campus Community to be the same thing since both involve the student body gathering in the Vines Center. However, each has a distinct purpose.
One obvious difference is that Convocation is required, and Campus Community is optional.
Josh Rutledge, vice president of the Office of Spiritual Development (OSD), explained the purpose of Convocation.
“Convocation is a platform of ideas,” Rutledge said. “That’s the official language of it, where the mission of it is to have speakers from every walk of life that help inform the mission of training champions for Christ.”
Liberty University’s OSD issued a purpose and philosophy statement for Convocation. It says the goal is for students to engage with a variety of different perspectives and people in order to strengthen their faith.
In contrast, Rutledge said Campus Community is meant to be different.
“Campus Community is going to be much more intentionally this collegiate midweek worship service,” Rutledge said. “Where we’re going to unpack God’s word in a sort of series format, like we’re doing with WWJD this fall.”
Campus Community and community groups are opportunities for students to grow their faith. The difference between Convocation and Campus Community comes from the ending, which, according to Rutledge, defines the aim for each event.
The goal of Convocation is to have a student hear an idea and discuss it with other people or bring it up in class. Students are encouraged to wrestle with ideas and think about them after they leave the Vines Center.
“What is the conversation after the fact?” Rutledge said. “One of them is more engagement with the idea and the thoughts and whatnot, and then the other one is aimed at communal gathering around how do we live that thing out that we just heard.”
Though Convocation and Campus Community are two different events with two different goals, they share common ground, which is worship. No matter who the speaker is, every Convocation begins with worship, and every Campus Community begins and ends with worship.
The worship that leads Convocation reminds students that they are listening to ideas as a Christian, while the worship in Campus Community prepares hearts for the word of God.
Convocation speakers are chosen through several inputs. The main one is the students. At the end of each year, students are provided with a survey where they can suggest speakers they want to hear. This is then vetted and approved by Chancellor Jonathan Falwell.
“What really matters more than the excitement of who’s coming is — what I’m more interested in is — how someone feels after it’s over,” Rutledge said.
For both Convocation and Campus Community, coming in with a heart that is open and willing to listen is a must. How you apply what you learn from each is what differs. Does it make you want to think critically about the ideas being presented, or does it, in the context of community, inspire change in your life. Your answer to that question determines whether you’ve just left Convocation or Campus Community.
Rutledge said the goal of Convocation is not that students would walk away with an emotional experience, but that going consistently would impact their lives over time. Campus Community, on the other hand, gives students the opportunity to practice spiritual disciplines and take advantage of the opportunities God has set before them.
Sizemore is the opinion editor for The Liberty Champion.